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Article: Risky business.(Matthew 22:1-14)(Living by the Word)(Column)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- September 25, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Matthew 22:1-14
THE GOSPEL is dangerous precisely because it has such awe-full consequences. We usually think of the gospel as gracious, a forgiving message from a loving God. But the gospel is also a fearsome, powerful word. That is the message in this parable that Jesus spoke in the temple precinct of Jerusalem a week before he died. It's an insight that grates on modern ears, because it underscores how radical the gospel is in what it does. The story is told in a straightforward, almost prosaic style, which makes it all the more impressive.
Let's set this parable in its context. Jesus has already announced the arrival of God's royal rule: "Repent, ...